In endoscopic vessel harvesting (EVH) surgical procedures, a long slender surgical instrument may be advanced into a tunnel next to the saphenous vein in a patient's leg, and along the saphenous vein to dissect the vessel away from adjacent tissue, and to sever side-branch vessels along the course of the vessel to be harvested. Similar technique may also be used to harvest a radial artery or other target structure.
A vessel harvesting device often includes a surgical tool at the distal end of the harvesting device, and a handle with a control for operating the surgical tool. Controls typically have a symmetrical configuration and are unintuitive.